It’s important to periodically check and carry out maintenance on your tyres. Find out here about rotation, balancing, tread wear and other key aspects of maintaining your tyres.

TYRE INFLATION

Check your tyres’ inflation at least once a month. Incorrect inflation can cause abnormal, excessive wear and tear, which in turn can cause tyre overheating, fuel overuse or even such a danger as sudden air loss.

CHECKING TYRE TREAD

Check your tread regularly to see if your tyres need replacing. Tread wear indicators are located at the bottoms of the tread grooves in several locations around the tyre. When a tyre is worn to the point where any of them become visibly flush with the adjacent tread ribs, it is time to replace the tyre. One (1 mm) of tread over the entire surface is law.

TYRE BALANCING

Your tyres should be balanced when they are mounted. Unbalanced tyres cause vibration, which can lead to driver fatigue and premature, irregular tyre wear as well as unnecessary wear to your vehicle’s suspension.

VEHICLE ALIGNMENT

Make sure your vehicles wheels are properly aligned. A vehicle is properly aligned when all suspension and steering components are sound and when the tyre and wheel assemblies are running straight and true, as per vehicle specifications. If you notice uneven tread wear, this could be due to a misalignment and must be serviced by a professional.

TYRE ROTATION

Find out the proper rotation for your tyres. While many people are capable of rotating their own tyres, it is quick, easy and secure to let a professional do it for you. Your vehicle’s owner’s manual will specify the proper rotation pattern and schedule for your vehicle. If a specific schedule is not indicated, it is a good rule of thumb to rotate your tyres every  8 000 to 10,000 kilometres.

Recommended industry good practice is that tyres be rotated from the back to the front keeping the tyres on the same side when moving it to the front position. In the case of rear wheel driven vehicles, tyres should be moved from front to back, keeping the tyres in the same position.  (i.e left front to left rear and right front to right rear)

REPLACEMENT TYRES

A replacement tyre to be fitted must match that recommended by the vehicle’s handbook or be an alternative approved by the vehicle’s manufacturer.

WORN TYRES ARE DANGEROUS AND ILLEGAL

A tyre must have tread depth of at least 1.6 mm across the tread width and have no portion of the ply or cord exposed.

DO NOT MIX TYRES

For best all-round performance, it is recommended that all tyres are of the same size, type and speed rating.

REPLACE THE TYRE VALVE

Whenever a new tyre is fitted or an existing tyre repaired or removed for any reason it is required to replace the tyre valve with a new one. It secures air-tightness, extends the tyre’s life and influences the safety of the vehicle. Always ensure that a valve cap is used. It provides an important seal, helping to keep the air tight and keeping dirt out.

Use good valve caps with rubber seals.

REPAIR WITH CARE

All punctured or damaged tyres should be removed from the wheel for thorough internal and external inspection to ensure there is no hidden damage that might cause a later failure and the use of a patch and plug to repair any punctures that fall within the limits and guidelines for repair.